Target apparatus



July 11 1939.

w. A. TRATSCH A 2,165,591

TARGET APPARATUS Filed July 19, 1938 33 WaZZefA. Trafsc/L 1715 ATTORNEY.

Patented July 11, 1939 UNITEE STATES PATENT OFFiCE 10 Claims.

This invention pertains broadly to amusement devices, and more particularly to an improved target apparatus of general application and especially suited for use in a check-controlled target game such as shown in my U. S. Patent 2,111,952. r

In its broader aspects, the invention has for one of its principal objects the combination, with periodically moving target members, of target indicating members arranged for movement by a driving means common to the target members, such that when any of the targets is struck, a corresponding target indicating member will be stopped.

Another object is the provision of designating means for each of the target indicating members and so arranged that when one of the targets is struck and the corresponding target indicating member stopped, a designating element Will be moved into view to indicate that the corresponding target indicating member has been stopped by striking a target and not by a stopping of the driving means which moves the target and target indicating member.

Another object is the provision of mechanism for accomplishing the aforesaid objects.

More specifically stated, the invention provides a new amusement device and target apparatus therefor in which there are a plurality of periodically operable targets and a check-controlled driving motor therefor, together with a plurality of revoluble indicating drums mounted for rotation by a common shaft driven by the aforesaid motor means, and mechanism actuated by any of the targets for arresting'the move ment of a corresponding indicating drum when the target is struck, together with individual designating or tell-tale members for each of the drums and coacting with the corresponding target means so as to be moved into View when the respective targets are struck, thereby clearly showing that the corresponding drum was arrested by striking the target, as distinguished from a mere stoppage of the driving or motor means.

Another object is the provision of improved target indicating members in the nature of drums revoluble on a common shaft and automatic clutch for each of the drums whereby the same may be moved in a group with the shaft and individually stopped without disturbing the remainder of the drums, together with target-actuated means for selectively stopping the several drums, and means coacting with the target means for indicating which of the drums has been stoppedby striking a target and which by mere stopping of the motor or driving means.

Other objects and novel aspects of the invention reside in the various details of construction and the arrangement and operation of the parts 5 hereinafter described in view of the annexed drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a target game apparatus utilizing the invention; 1

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sec- 10 tion of the target apparatus, as the same would be viewed in the direction of line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section through one of the target indicating members or drums; while a 15 Fig. 4 is a rear fragmentary perspective of th interior of the target housing and the designating or tell-tale means.

The target apparatus of my present invention has been incorporated in'an amusement device such as shown in my aforesaid patent, and a form of which is illustrated in Fig. 1 herein, wherein there is provided a cabinet Ni having a dirigibleprojecting means in the form of a pistol H at one lower end and a target panel 42 25 at an opposite upper end, there being a plurality of target openings it behind which target members move periodically into and out of view to be struck by missiles from the projector The projector or gun H is preferably checkcontrolled, there being a coin-receiving pocket M on a side thereof and'into which a proper coin may be deposited to release the device for the projection of a predetermined number of projectiles.

The target members in the present instance include a plurality of balls i5 (Fig. 2), one for each target opening l3, and these balls are each movable in a vertical well H3 behind the target panel, there being a revolving cam H5 for each Well and revoluble on a shaft is to engage the corresponding ball and raise the same up and down before the corresponding target opening 83.

When a projectile from the gun I l is properly directed through any of the target openings 3 to strike the corresponding target ball I5, the ball will be dislodged from the cam and caused to fall backward into a scoring chamber H where it will engage certain scoring mechanism in the manner and for the purpose hereinafter to be described, the target ball thereafter moving by gravity back into the front chamber I 6 for reengagement and elevation by the cam 58 substantially in the manner described in detail in my aforesaid patent.

Means for rotating the several cams IS includcs a spring-driven motor (not shown) and which may be energized by manipulation of the handle 26 (Fig. 1) upon deposit of a coin in the pocket It of the gun. A driving connection is established between the driving means or motor through a sprocket chain 2| (Figs. 2 and 3), the lower part of which trains over a sprocket gear 22, upwardly over a driven sprocket 23 mounted on a common driving shaft 24 for the score indicating means, the chain thereafter returning downwardly and passing under a tensioning roller 25 back over the motor-driven sprocket (not shown). The direction of movement of the sprocket gears 22 and 23 in Fig. 2 is anticlockwise.

In the present embodiment, the driving means or motor may be of any suitable type, and since the device is check-controlled it will be apparent that such motor will operate intermittently for predetermined periods corresponding to each deposit of a coin and manipulation of the handle 20, and in this sense the motor means is intermittently operable and arranged to start and stop with corresponding starting and stopping of the mechanism driven thereby. This fact has a bearing on certain features of the invention as will appear hereinafter.

A novel score indicating mechanism is arranged in a housing 38 (Figs. 1 and 2) at the rear of the cabinet Hi behind the target panel I2, this housing having a dome portion 3i of arcuate vertical contour above the target panel, there being a plurality of spaced vertically extending sight openings 32 in the curved portion thereof and behind which certain movable score indicating members are arranged on the shaft 24. The score indicating means includes a plurality of movable members preferably in the form of drums 33 (Figs. 2 and 3) arranged to float on the common shaft 24, there being one of these movable members or drums before each of the sight openings 32, and slip clutch means for effecting conjoint rotation of the several rotatable members or drums with the driven shaft 24 such that any of the drums may be stopped independently of the others.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, each of the drums 33 is provided with a hub portion 35, there being spring means 3'0 fitted loosely around the shaft 24 between the hub portions of each drum so as to produce a binding action which causes the drums to rotate with the shaft 2 while permitting a stoppage of any drum by the application of some restraining force thereto. Each drum is provided with circumferentially arranged spaced apart pins 31.

Means for selectively stopping any of the drums includes a pawl 46 pivotally mounted on a horizontal shaft 41 at intervals at the side of each drum, the pawls having a stopping nose 4? near their upper ends and adapted to project between adjacent teeth on the corresponding drum, there being a finger 43 at the bottom of each pawl and projecting into the rearward chamber H of the target well for engagement by a corresponding target member or ball i5 when the latter is struck and moved into the rear chamber as aforesaid. Spring means 44 is provided for each of the pawls 4!! to dispose the same in normally ineffective position with their respective stopping noses 42 withdrawn from the drums, and their ball engaging fingers 43 projected into ball engaging position.

Thus, each of the means or pawls for selectively stopping any of the drums or score indicating members is actuated by target mechanism, any type of such mechanism being adaptable for actuation of the stopping means, the form shown being preferred.

Means for automatically latching the stopping means or pawls includes a latch arm 45 for each pawl and pivotally mounted (see also Fig. l) as at Eton a bracket arm 51, the latch arms each having a notched formation 38 latchingly engageable with a lug 49 on the corresponding stopping pawl 40 so that when the latter are severally moved into stopping position, the latch arms are drawn downwardly by spring means 50 to hold the pawls in stopping position. Each latch arm has an end portion 5| projected for engagement with reset means hereinafter to be described.

In the illustrative embodiment, the object of the operator is to strike as many of the target members l5 as possible to stop the corresponding movable indicating member or drum in a desired position, the several drums being preferably provided with various scoring indicia of graded value so that the player is induced to shoot at the target substantially at the moment that the highest scoring indicia of the corresponding drum moves into View. However, since the driving means for the drums is arranged for start and stop operation, or, in a manner of speaking, is intermittently operable, it will be apparent that the driving mechanism may frequently stop at a time when the several drums are indicating the highest scoring values, and therefore in those cases where some award may be preferred for procuring a high score value, there would be no means for determining whether the score had been made by exercise of skill in striking the several targets or whether the score was simply a result of the stopping of the driving mechanism at an opportune moment.

The invention therefore provides novel means in the nature of designating or tell-tale mechanism for determining when the drums or target indicating means have been stopped by striking the targets, one form of this tell-tale means including a member or arm 80 for each drum and pivotally mounted as at 6! within the housing 30 adjacent its corresponding drum so as to be movable into and out of view in the corresponding sight opening 32. Each of the tell-tale members is provided with spring means 62 normally tending to pivot the same into view, such motion being prevented, however, by a detent arm 63. pivotally mounted as at M on the bracket arm 45. A spring 65 attached to the arm and the bracket 35 normally urges the arm against a stop pin 6% on the corresponding pawl 40, which pin limits the movement of the end iii of the detent arm, so that the opposite end 68 of the arm is in blocking position in front of a nose (59 on the telltale member 6%! and prevents pivotal movement of the latter so that the designating element or telltale means, such as the star 69', remains normally hidden from view.

Means for effecting movement of the tell-tale members into view when the corresponding score indicating member is stopped includes the stop pin 66 in its bearing engagement with the offset end ti of the arm 63, the arm ii moving toward the left (Fig. 2 or 4) when a target is struck, and such movement being effective to cam the arm 63 through theagency of the pin 66 so that the arm 63 is pivoted out of blocking relation with r the nose portion E9 of the corresponding tell-tale device and the spring member 52 therefor urges the tell-talemember into viewing position substantially at the time the score indicating drum is arrested.

Resetting mechanism for restoring the several tell-tale indicators to their normal positions includes a reset lever mechanism 19 connected through a link H with the manual control handle 20 such that whenever the latter is moved to energize the motor, the link II will move toward the right (Fig. 2), pivoting the dog leg lever means 'lil upwardly with a consequent upward movement of an arm 12 attached to the dog leg as at 13. At its upper end, the arm 12 (Fig. 4) is oifset to provide a camming formation 14 terminating in the longitudinally slotted end portion 15 which is guided for vertical movement by the headed pin 15. The arm 72 is connected to a common horizontal reset bar T! which extends across the dome of the housing portion 3! beneath the sight openings nad which is provided with projections I8 underlying offset restoring arms E9 on each of the tell-tale members 60.

Each time the handle 20 is effectively pivoted, the vertical shift rod arm 12 moves upwardly and causes the offset portion 14 thereof to pivot a dog leg lever 86 pivotally mounted on .a suitable bracket or lug 8| to cause a horizontalrestoring bar 82 to move downwardly against all of the latch arms 5! so that the latter will be pivoted into releasing position to permit all of the pawls 48 to move into ineffective position. Meanwhile, as the shift rod 12 continues upward, the pin member 16 abuts against the end of the slot so that the restoringbar llisthen shifted upwardly to cause the'several projections 18 thereof to bear against the portion 39 on the several tell-tale members and pivot the latter to withdraw the designating elementlil thereof from view; The several springs 65 pivot each of the detent arms 63 back into blocking position relative to the nose portions 69 on the several tell-tale members it, so that the latter are all automatically locked in withdrawn position. 7

In operation, the several drums 33 are provided with various circumferentially spaced scoring in dicia, and'all of thedrums are set to rotating by proper operation of the handle 29 so that the various. scoring indiciajpass before the view of the player, the movement of the drums being sub-- stantially synchronized with the movement of the corresponding target balls it so that the player will shoot at one or the other targets at such time as a desired, score value or designation is'moving into view in an effort to stop the drum with that score value positioned before the sight opening. When the player succeeds in scoring a hit, the target member l5 which he has struck will fall back onto the finger 43 of the corresponding pawl and pivotthe latter to project the upper stopping finger d2 thereon between the pins 3'! on the corresponding drum, thus stopping the latter by virtue of the provision of the slip clutch means 353i3, the pawl being latched into stopping position by the latch arm 45.

Simultaneously with the stopping of a give score indicating member or drum, the corresponding detent arm 63 will be pivoted into released position as a result of the movement of the pin 66 against the extension 61 on such detent arm when the pawl 49 moves into stopping position. The corresponding tell-tale member (ill will then characteristics, may be accomplished by other forms of construction and modes of operation than that specifically detailed herein for purposes of illustration, and the invention therefore is not to be restricted to any precise form or mode of operaton except as may be provided hereinafter in the appended claims fairly construed in their broadest aspects.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent isz I 1. In combination, projectile shooting means, score indicating mechanism including a plurality of movable indicating members and driven means common to said members for moving the same, each of said members being arranged and constructed to be stopped without affecting the movement of the others, a plurality of targets arranged i to be selectively struck by a said projectile, and means coasting with said targets for selectively stopping said indicating members when one of the targets is struck.

2. In a device of the class described, score indicating mechanism including a plurality of movable indicating members and driven means common to said members for moving the same, each of said members being arranged and constructed to be stopped without effecting the movement of the others, target-actuated means for selectively stopping said indicating members, means providing a sight opening for each of said indicating members, designating means for each of said indicating members and including a movable element arranged for movement into and out of view relative to one of said sight openings, and mechanism coacting with the aforesaid means for stopping the indicating members to effect movement of the corresponding movable designating element into View when the corresponding indicating member is stopped.

3. In a device of the class described, score' indicating mechanism including a plurality of rotatable indicating members, means for rotating said members, target-actuated mechanism for selectively stopping any of said rotatable members, means providing sigl openings for each of said rotatable members, and means arranged for movement relative to each of said sight openings and coacting with said stopping mechanism for designating the stoppage of any of said rotatable members by operation of the target mechanism as aforesaid.

4. Target apparatus including a plurality of score indicating drums having score indicia thereon, meansfor rotating said drums, targetoperated mechanism for selectively stopping any of said drums to indicate a hit, and tell-tale means for each of said drums and arranged and constructed for movement into and'out of view relative to the corresponding drum, and means coacting with said stopping mechanism for effecting movement of a corresponding tell-tale means into View when the corresponding indicating drum is stopped by said target-operated mechanism.

5. In a device of the class described, means providing a housing having a plurality of sight openings, a rotatable indicating drum mounted for rotation before each of said sight openings, means for rotating said drums jointly, targetoperated means for selectively stopping any of said drums, and tell-tale means for each drum and including a tell-tale member pivoted for movement into and out of view relative to one of said sight openings, spring means normally urging each of said tell-tale members for movement into view, detent means normally restraining each of said tell-tale members against movement into view and arranged for coaction with said stopping means such that the stoppage of any drum will eifect release of the corresponding detent means whereby the corresponding tell-tale member will be moved into viewing position, and mechanism for restoring said tell-tale members to a normal position out of View.

6. In a device of the class described, means providing a housing with a plurality of sight openings, a score indicating drum mounted for rotation behind each of said sight openings, means for rotating said drums, stopping pawls for each of said drums and each arranged for movement from a normal ineffective position into stopping engagement with a corresponding drum to arrest the latter, target means for selectively pivoting each of said pawls into stopping position, releasable latch means arranged for automatic operation to hold said pawls severally in stopping position, and tell-tale means including a tell-tale member for each of said drums and mounted for movement into and out of view relative to a corresponding sight opening, means normally urging each of said tell-tale members into view, detent means normally restraining each of said tell-tale members from movement into view and each arranged for coaction with one of said stopping pawls whereby to release the corresponding tell-tale member for movement into view when the corresponding drum is arrested as aforesaid, reset means for restoring said tell-tale members to normal position and releasing said latch means, and means for restoring said pawls to said normal position.

7. In combination, a plurality of movable targets, means for directing projectiles at said targets, score indicating means including a plurality of indicating drums mounted for independent rotation on a common shaft, slip clutch mechanism operable to effect conjoint movement of said drums with said shaft, means for rotating said shaft, and means operatively associated with each of said targets for selectively stopping any of said drums when any of the targets is moved responsive to contact therewith of a said projectile.

8. In combination, score indicating mechanism including a plurality of rotatable indicating drums mounted on a common shaft for independent rotation, automatic clutch means coupling said drums with said shaft for rotation by the latter, said clutch means being arranged to permit the stoppage of any drum independently of the others, means for rotating said shaft, stopping pawls arranged for movement from a normal ineffective position into stopping engagement with one of said drums, spring means arranged to urge said pawls into normal position, means for selectively moving any of said pawls into stopping position, automatic latch means for each of said pawls and operable to hold the latter in stopping position, reset means for releasing said latch means to restore the pawls to said normal position, a plurality of targets arranged for movement from a normal position into hit position to engage and selectively operate said pawl moving means to stop one of said drums and means for restoring said targets from hit to normal position, and means for projecting missiles at said targets.

9. In a device of the class described, score indicating mechanism including a plurality of rotatable indicating drums mounted on a common shaft for independent rotation, automatic clutch means coupling said drums with said shaft for rotation by the latter, said clutch means being arranged to permitthe stoppage of any drum independently of the others, means for rotating said shaft, stopping pawls arranged for movement from a normal ineifective position into stopping engagement with one of said drums, spring means arranged to urge said pawls into normal position, target means for selectively moving any of said pawls into stopping position, automatic latch means for each of said pawls and operable to hold the latter in stopping position, tell-tale means for each of said drums and including a tell-tale member mounted for pivotal movement adjacent each drum, spring means urging each of said tell-tale members for movement from a normal non-indicating position to an indicating position, detent means normally restraining each of said tell-tale members against movement into indicating position, the detent means for each of said tell-tale members being arranged for coaction with one of said stopping pawls for release by movement of the latter into stopping position, and reset mechanism for restoring said tell-tale members to said normal position and for releasing the automatic latch means to free said pawls for movement to normal position.

10. In a device of the class described, a plurality of score indicating members arranged for movement relative to a sight opening, driving means for moving said indicating members, stopping means for each of said indicating members and arranged for movement from a normal ineffective position into stopping engagement with one of said indicating members, a plurality of target devices each selectively operable to move one of said stopping means into stopping position, a tell-tale member for each of said indicating members and each arranged for movement into and out of view relative to one of said sight openings, said tell-tale members being normally positioned out of view corresponding to a nonindicating position, and means cooperable with said target devices for effecting movement of one of said tell-tale members into indicating position when the corresponding indicating member is stopped whereby to designate the stoppage of said indicating members by operation of the corresponding target device, as distinguished from said driving means. 

